Medal of Honor

[fabiobelgio]

Hi Guys,

I'm coming back from La Gleize (BE) military fair, one vendor had a cased medal of honour. The medal was not engraved and had a 60-70 box, probably Vietnam era. No docs with the medal, the price was 1100 euro.

So my questions:

a) is it possible to find a real one on the market ?

should be engraved (this one was not) ?

c) was the price good ?

d) where is it possible to find some kind of reference to understand if it was a fake (in my opinion was real, the medal looked a bit aged and the box as well) ?

Regards

FABIO

[Steve Brannan]

Can't really help you without pictures. Most originals issued to individuals are engraved.

[decwriter]

It is possible to find a real one on the market, especially overseas. Some people confuse a "real one" with an "issued one" as they are both the same medal, but one is issued to an individual and has government engraving. The manufacturers of these medals don't just make a few. As with all things government, there is a contract to make said amount of medals. With that being said, some end up outside the hands of the contractor and goverment control and find their way to the open market. The current contractor for government supplied US medals is Graco Industries. There have been many manufactured in the past, that include companies like Wilson and Sons (Civil War), Bailey, Banks and Biddle, His Lordship Products, Etc. And, last but not least, 1,100 Euros is too much.

[fabiobelgio]

It is possible to find a real one on the market, especially overseas. Some people confuse a "real one" with an "issued one" as they are both the same medal, but one is issued to an individual and has government engraving. The manufacturers of these medals don't just make a few. As with all things government, there is a contract to make said amount of medals. With that being said, some end up outside the hands of the contractor and goverment control and find their way to the open market. The current contractor for government supplied US medals is Graco Industries. There have been many manufactured in the past, that include companies like Wilson and Sons (Civil War), Bailey, Banks and Biddle, His Lordship Products, Etc. And, last but not least, 1,100 Euros is too much.

Which should be a good price to your opinion ?

Regards

Fabio

[fabiobelgio]

Hi Guys,

I'm coming back from La Gleize (BE) military fair, one vendor had a cased medal of honour. The medal was not engraved and had a 60-70 box, probably Vietnam era. No docs with the medal, the price was 1100 euro.

So my questions:

a) is it possible to find a real one on the market ?

should be engraved (this one was not) ?

c) was the price good ?

d) where is it possible to find some kind of reference to understand if it was a fake (in my opinion was real, the medal looked a bit aged and the box as well) ?

Regards

FABIO

Here an intersting doc about how MOH can go on the market...

http://www.mishalov.com/FBI_False_Medal_of_Honor.html

[sigma9r]

Folks,

I remember a story related to me by a supply sgt, a national guard supply sgt, who, way back in the 1970s, ordered any medal he desired through the system at no charge. This is from a Good Conduct Medal to the MOH. He and his accomplice, for lack of a better term, took them to gun shows all over the South and sold them for about $300.00 each.

Of course, these had no engraving on the back and they made no false claims about their authenticity. In the early to mid 1970s, I saw a bunch of them for sale; prices from $300.00 to $500.00. As a 13 to 15 year-old farm boy the price might as well been $1,000,000.00!

Most of the medals I bought in this time period, i.e. Navy Cross, DSC, PH, had no name on the back. After hearing the story, I assumed these medals were ordered through the system and put on the market.

The "party line", if you will, is that the mfg sold a bunch out of the back door. Well, as we all know, the system has more back doors, cracks in the floor, and open windows than we can imagine.

As far as price? How many whats are in a Euro?!

Cased, of course, goes higher but I wouldn't go more than $400.00 USD!

My 2 cents worth...plus a bonus!

 

Wiley

[sigma9r]

WOW!

$1550.56?

Maybe if it was signed by Custer with papers and a six-pack!

[Darrell]

While I'm not sure what I'd pay for a MoH, I'm not sure how anyone in the US could say a certain value is too high when you can't legally buy one. Sounds like sour grapes to me :think:

[sigma9r]

While I'm not sure what I'd pay for a MoH, I'm not sure how anyone in the US could say a certain value is too high when you can't legally buy one. Sounds like sour grapes to me :think:

 

Darrell,

I'm seriuos about the six-pack! :w00t:

[Dave]

I think 1000 euros is a little steep, but I haven't heard what they're going for overseas in a while. This is probably a shot in the dark, but I wouldn't pay more than $1000 US (or euro/ukp equivalent) for one.

 

And as far as MOHs are concerned, here are three definitions of terms used:

 

1. "Issued" or "awarded" - this means that the MOH is officially engraved and was actually issued to a particular recipient. These are the ones that are very rare (duh) and most valued.

 

2. "Real" or "original" or "official" - this means that the MOH is a real one (as opposed to fake) as it was made by a certified contractor as part of a US government contract, but was just never awarded or issued to a recipient. There are a LOT of these on the market, and as was mentioned earlier, before they were made illegal here, they used to sell for $300-$600. I personally paid about $500 each for mine.

 

3. "Fake" or "copy" or "reproduction" - this means that the MOH was made by an uncertified contractor or jeweler and was never part of a US government contract. They exist, but I wouldn't touch one with a 10-foot pole because there are so many of the above ones available, why buy something that's at least not a real strike?

 

My two cents...

 

Dave

[Dave]

And I changed the topic title so "Honor" was spelled correctly. :thumbsup:

[fabiobelgio]

And I changed the topic title so "Honor" was spelled correctly. :thumbsup:

No you're right ONLY for the US part of the world, take an english dict and you will find "honour" (US honor)

[Bob Hudson]

No you're right ONLY for the US part of the world, take an english dict and you will find "honour" (US honor)

 

Correct - almost: when a word is used as part of specific proper name such as "Medal of Honor," then there is only one correct spelling. Changing it to "Medal of Honour" would be like calling the French Croix De Guerre the "Cross of War".

[X_redcatcher]

While I have seen quite a few of the "unnamed" medels over here I have to admit to seeing way more copies than anything else. 600 to 850 EURO would be about it for a real un-named one, I would not even buy a copy.

[FrankEaton01]

And as far as MOHs are concerned, here are three definitions of terms used:

 

1. "Issued" or "awarded" - this means that the MOH is officially engraved and was actually issued to a particular recipient. These are the ones that are very rare (duh) and most valued.

 

2. "Real" or "original" or "official" - this means that the MOH is a real one (as opposed to fake) as it was made by a certified contractor as part of a US government contract, but was just never awarded or issued to a recipient. There are a LOT of these on the market, and as was mentioned earlier, before they were made illegal here, they used to sell for $300-$600. I personally paid about $500 each for mine.

 

3. "Fake" or "copy" or "reproduction" - this means that the MOH was made by an uncertified contractor or jeweler and was never part of a US government contract. They exist, but I wouldn't touch one with a 10-foot pole because there are so many of the above ones available, why buy something that's at least not a real strike?

 

Good summary. I would possibly add a fourth category, or perhaps a subcategory to #2: official medals that were made by certified contractors, but were given to a MOH recipient as an unnamed "wearing example". Probably 98% of the relatively recent TV interviews or documentaries I see with WWII or Korean War MOH recipients, the medals they are wearing have the modern post-1964 large cravet pad. I've heard that some MOH recipients have been given an "extra" medal to wear every time they attended a ceremony, gave a speech, etc.

[Jim Baker]

It really ticks me off that we (Americans) can not buy an example for our collections.

 

I would be willing to pay the price for one Army version for my collection. A few knuckleheads ruin it for everyone.

[Bob Hudson]

A few knuckleheads ruin it for everyone.

 

That's not a nice thing to say about Congress

[Brig]

It really ticks me off that we (Americans) can not buy an example for our collections.

 

I would be willing to pay the price for one Army version for my collection. A few knuckleheads ruin it for everyone.

a lot of knuckleheads. impersonators

[sigma9r]

2. "Real" or "original" or "official" - this means that the MOH is a real one (as opposed to fake) as it was made by a certified contractor as part of a US government contract, but was just never awarded or issued to a recipient. There are a LOT of these on the market, and as was mentioned earlier, before they were made illegal here, they used to sell for $300-$600. I personally paid about $500 each for mine.

 

3. "Fake" or "copy" or "reproduction" - this means that the MOH was made by an uncertified contractor or jeweler and was never part of a US government contract. They exist, but I wouldn't touch one with a 10-foot pole because there are so many of the above ones available, why buy something that's at least not a real strike?

 

My two cents...

 

Dave

 

Dave,

My question now is how do you determine which is the fake from a real one? If you have bought The Medal at, say, a gun show and it is uncased, are there hallmarks to look for?

 

Thanks,

Wiley

[Brig]

No you're right ONLY for the US part of the world, take an english dict and you will find "honour" (US honor)

US Medal, US Forum, US Spelling :w00t:

[Brian Dentino]

It really ticks me off that we (Americans) can not buy an example for our collections.

 

I would be willing to pay the price for one Army version for my collection. A few knuckleheads ruin it for everyone.

 

This always stuck in my craw as well Jim. One of the dumbest things I have ever heard of....you can buy/sell/burn/wear/whatever the heck you want a US MoH overseas...you see them come up all the time in European collections, but we here IN THE UNITED STATES cant own one by law. Now, the impersonation of a MoH winner...fine, I see that, but illegal to buy or sell here.....IN THE UNITED STATES? Whatever...morons!